Watching While He Waited
by nozomi.no.uta
Summary: It tested his patience. It frustrated him. It broke her heart. Pre-"Captive Heart Show."


**Author's Comments: **Hi there! Sorry I haven't updated anything lately but I hope this makes up for it a little. This was inspired by the song _The Man Who Can't Be Moved_ by The Script and takes place some time before _The Captive Heart Show_. If you've been reading that, you might have already gotten a general idea of Demyx's past, but this is sure to flesh out some of the details. Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Kingdom Hearts_, the italicized lyrics to _The Man Who Can't Be Moved_ by The Script, or the song _The Ballad of Mona Lisa_ by Panic! at the Disco_. _I own Imani and Aden.

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><p><em>People talk about the guy who's waiting on a girl. There are no holes in his shoes but a big hole in his world. Maybe I'll get famous as the man who can't be moved and maybe you won't mean to but you'll see me on the news and you'll come running to the corner 'cause you know it's just for you...<em>

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><p>I knew he'd be there. That was the only place he'd be if not in his bed, buried beneath the covers. That was their spot. They'd go there at least once a week and spend hours just talking and watching sailboats cross the horizon as the sun disappeared. That was <em>their<em> spot.

No one needed the brain of a rocket scientist to figure out that he still wasn't over it. He still wasn't over her.

When I reached the beginning of the dock, I hesitated. I half-wished I didn't find him so soon. The nine-minute dash from his dorm didn't give me enough time to think of anything to say to him. I hated to think of what reason he had to even emerge from his room for the first time in over a month only to come here.

_Maybe he'd do some talking,_ I figured as I forced my feet to move. My footsteps thudded dull and loud on the wind- and water-weathered planks. He didn't crane his head over his shoulder to see me coming. I was sure he knew it was me.

"Sea air is the _best_," he told me cheerily when I took a seat next to him, crossing my legs. "When you breathe it in, it's like you're breathing _power._ It seeps into your lungs and revitalizes you. It's _amazing._"

I couldn't see how the air was _revitalizing_ him. He'd showered, sure, but his hair hung limp around his head and over his bloodshot eyes. His shoulder blades and even sections of his spine protruded slightly from beneath his thin band t-shirt. There was a grayish tinge to his skin. The smile stretched across his face did nothing to erase the despair shadowing his eyes.

I had to look away from him or else the tears pressing against the backs of my eyes would've won. I hadn't seen him in over a month. I hardly recognized him anymore.

"There's our boat." He pointed to a sailboat crawling across the horizon. Pink and green and orange and yellow and purple splashed the sail. "One day I'm gonna buy a boat just like that one and name it the Little Mermaid. We'll go out on it every weekend and go swimming and make friends with the dolphins."

I slipped my tongue between my teeth. He was definitely not over her.

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><p><em>"You've found him?"<em>

_ "He's at the pier."_

_ "Doing what?"_

_ "…Waiting."_

_ "For what?"_

_ "For her."_

_ "…Does he at least have a jacket?"_

_ "No."_

_ "The fool."_

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><p>The door opened to reveal a bespectacled redhead with a furrowed brow and an irritated frown. "Oh, Zexion," he said, his face melting into a relaxed grin upon realizing I was his visitor. "What's up?"<p>

"If you've a moment to spare, I'd like to ask you to find one of Demyx's jackets for me," I told him politely. "He'll need it tonight."

His thin eyebrows shot up as he backed away from the door, pulling open the closet and rifting through clothes. "Why does he need it?"

I followed him further into the room but didn't bother to shut the door. I didn't expect to be there very long. "He'll catch a cold if he sleeps outside in gusting fifty-degree sea air."

Axel froze. He whipped his head towards me and gaped at me with wide green eyes. "_What? _Where is he?"

"He's at the pier being an idiot." I thrust my hand out for the dark jacket in his. "Thank you."

He drew his jacket-holding arm away from me. "Does this have anything to do with Ariel?" he demanded.

I narrowed my eyes at him. There was no time to waste on bringing him up to speed on a happening that he should have been fully informed of. "Give me the jacket," I commanded lowly.

"You're gonna give him the jacket and _let_ him sleep in the cold?"

"Axel—"

"That's _encouraging _him, idiot!" he barked harshly and pointed an accusing finger at me. "I thought you were studying behavioral psychology!"

I was beginning to regret leaving the door open. No, I was beginning to regret coming to his dorm in the first place. "He's far too depressed to listen to any voice of reason," I tried to explain without exploding at his ignorance. "He needs to see for himself that this last hope he's depending on is pointless."

"He'll come back faster if you don't give him the jacket."

"I'm _not_ going to let him freeze to death."

"Well what if he jumps into the ocean, huh? What if he freaks and decides to _drown_ himself?"

"He isn't that selfish."

Axel's verbal attack withered on his tongue. His arms fell limp on either side of him.

"He desires to see her happy than to impose his feelings upon her," I declared, narrowing my eyes at him. "Killing himself would only cause heartache for Ariel. Perhaps if you took the time to get to know your dorm mate, you'd understand that."

He made no sound or move. I stepped forward, grabbed a different jacket from the closet, and strode for the door. "No amount of neurological observation can replace time spent talking to a friend," I added before slamming the door and striding to the elevator.

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><p>"Guess how much money I got today."<p>

I didn't say a word.

"Ten munny. A little girl and her older brother came up to me and handed me a bill. Before that I got a sandwich from an old man walking his dog."

That sandwich had been mauled by the seagulls. Not a single scrap remained. They even took the paper it was wrapped in.

"The kids reminded me of you and Aden. Them walking up to me and giving me money like that…It seemed like something you two would've done back in the day." He finally turned to look at me with weary eyes that betrayed his chipper voice. "How is Aden, anyway?"

Hearing my brother's name seemed to switch my voice box back on and add a much-needed boost to my almost nonexistent supply of determination. "He's worried about you," I murmured. "_Really_ worried."

The sagging smile on his face remained. He shifted to reach into his jacket pocket and pull out a crumpled slip. "Here." He took my hand and slapped it on my palm. "Take this."

Reflexively I closed my fingers over the slip—the ten munny bill, I realized—so it wouldn't blow away with the wind. "Why?"

"You have to put it in the boat fund."

My shoulders slumped even further. "Demyx…"

He turned away from me to stare at the horizon again, wrapping his arms around his knees. "You can put it in that empty jar you have in your room. The one next to the stack of college acceptance letters. That'll be the boat fund."

I couldn't do anything but roll up the bill and grasp it in my fist. There was no point in trying to refuse the money. He wouldn't take it back. He had no use for it because he had no intention of leaving his spot…not even to feed himself.

Demyx sighed. "I know you've got work tomorrow, but you should come back just in case I get more money from strangers."

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><p>I didn't know him too well, but that didn't matter much; Zexion really knew how to piss me off. Ever since he slammed the door after getting Demyx's jacket a few weeks ago, the dorm felt so empty that I couldn't concentrate or fall asleep. It drove me nuts.<p>

That and Demyx's phone constantly ringing.

I glared at the piece of crap sitting across the room on Demyx's desk. Yeah, _The Ballad of Mona Lisa_ was a good song and I liked Panic! at the Disco, but hearing the same section of the song every half hour made me wanna shoot myself or smash the phone to bits. Seeing as I didn't have a gun and I had a bunch of exams coming up, though, the smashing-phone option made more sense.

Pushing away from my desk and swiveling to his on my chair, I snatched the phone and was about to hurl it at the wall…but then I peered at the caller ID: Aden. Demyx often mentioned someone named Aden. They were best friends or something.

Without knowing why, I pressed the green button and brought the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

There was a pause on the other end. "Where's Demyx?" the voice asked.

"At the pier."

"And why are _you_ answering his phone?"

"I'm his dorm mate," I leaned back in my chair, "and seeing as you called his phone a billion times, I figured I should answer at least once and let you know what's up."

"You're Axel?"

"Yeah. And you're Aden, I'm guessing."

"You guess correctly." I heard a hint of a smile in his voice. "So have you gone to see him?"

A pang of guilt—damn Zexion—zipped through my chest. "I've been busy," I answered as nonchalantly as I could.

"Are you busy now?"

"Uh…"

"If you're not, do you mind meeting me at Tune-Up? I need your help picking something out."

I almost pulled the phone away from my ear to gape at it bewilderedly. Tune-Up was the music store in town. I didn't understand why this guy wanted me to meet him there—or to meet him at all.

"I'd really appreciate it if you could come down, Axel. I know Dem will, too."

This Aden guy was a real enigma. If he always talked this cryptically, how the hell were he and Demyx best friends? Demyx wasn't exactly the brightest guy I knew.

Before I could ask him anything, he went on, "I'll be there in about half an hour. Hope to see you." After that, he hung up.

I sat there with Demyx's phone in my hand for several moments. After considering Aden's vague request, it clicked somewhat. He was being cryptic for a reason. He didn't want to reveal too much so he'd lure me out of my dorm and get me to meet up with him to see for myself whatever it was he wanted.

And it worked. I grabbed a jacket, jammed on my sneakers, and pocketed my keys, phone, and wallet on my way out the door, cursing under my breath all the way.

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><p>"Imani…"<p>

I buried my face into his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his neck tighter. "Please come home."

His hands wrapped around my wrists and gently unwound my arms. "I can't."

"Yes you can," I insisted without trying to fight him, "but you don't want to. You don't want to give up on her."

He didn't respond.

I closed my eyes, leaning my forehead against his back. "She's not coming, Demyx," I whispered.

His voice rumbled through his skin. "She will."

"No, she won't."

"I love her."

There it was: the reason he chose to risk his health and his sanity by sitting here at the dock. It was obvious enough, but hearing him declare it with a voice that held its melody despite being weathered by the harsh evening sea air made my chest ache. It honestly _hurt_ seeing my best friend so hopelessly hopeful for a happy ending he wouldn't experience.

"She loved you, too."

I had to say it. I didn't want to, but I had no choice. My own voice stabbed my heart as the words rang in my ears. I wasn't sure if he heard me over the lapping waves and the cawing seagulls…but if he was able to hear the steadily approaching footsteps, then I suppose he heard me just fine. I didn't move as Demyx shifted to look at the newcomer, whoever it was.

"Aden."

My eyes flew open and I whipped my head over my shoulder. A boy with dark side-swept hair and gentle eyes stood a mere few feet away from where I crouched. "Hey," he said with a wave and a smile. "Long time no see."

I stood up so quickly I nearly toppled over my feet. "What're you doing here? Don't you have school?"

Aden shrugged and I finally noticed the large bag he was shouldering. "Yeah, but this is more important."

It was a strange shape, the bag Aden had. It looked like it held some sort of instrument similar to a guitar or a bass, only the bottom end of the bag was a lot stouter and the neck more elongated.

When I realized what it was, I shot Aden an incredulous glance. He actually bought one.

"What's that…?" Demyx trailed off as Aden unloaded his bag and began zipping it open. The lower the zipper went, the lower his jaw dropped and the bigger his eyes became. "_No,_" he gasped, leaping to his feet.

"_Yes_," Aden declared, pulling out a sleek blue sitar from the case and holding it out to him. "For you."

Demyx's hands trembled as he reached out for the instrument and cradled it carefully. "How…why…?"

"You've always wanted to learn how to play, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

Aden waved a hand to him. "Try it out."

His head was shaking, but when I peered closely, I could see light creep back into his sea green eyes. "But I don't…"

"Just play around with it," Aden encouraged. "You'll figure it out."

Hesitantly, Demyx sat back down and positioned the instrument. His fingertips barely brushed the strings as he strummed once. The sounds the sitar made as Demyx gained more confidence in his strumming tickled my ears, slicing through the wind easily. The makeshift music was surprisingly pleasant and peaceful.

Then, Demyx _laughed._ It wasn't a tired laugh, either. It was a laugh of pure joy, a laugh that reached his eyes and brought a little color to his skin.

A hand took hold of mine and tugged lightly. "C'mon."

I glance up at Aden and furrowed my brow. "We're just gonna leave him here like this?" I hissed.

"Yep."

"But—"

"He'll be fine." He began leading me off the dock. "Just give him some time."

I peeked over my shoulder to glance at Demyx. His fingers danced on the neck of the sitar and caressed the strings. He didn't notice that we were leaving. He was wrapped in his own world.

A tiny smile snuck onto my face. Yeah, he would be fine.

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><p>Last night, I had the best night of sleep I'd had in months. I woke up feeling refreshed and at ease. I got out of bed, prepared myself for the day, left my dorm, went for a walk, and found myself knocking on a door. When it opened, I heard him singing…and I shared a grin with Axel. "He's back."<p>

"Yeah," he said with a nod, leaning against the doorframe. "He's back."

"How is his playing?"

He gave a half-shrug. "Not bad. I think those tutorial CDs helped."

I crossed my arms and nodded. "I knew they would."

Axel rolled his eyes good-naturedly and backed away from the door just as Demyx bounded up to greet me. His eyes sparkled. His smile was like the sun after a thunderstorm. His voice was alive. "Zex! What brings you here?"

"I heard you came back," I answered simply.

Demyx laughed, pulling me into a sudden tight hug. "Thanks for everything, Zexion." He released me just as quickly to dash to the redhead and hug him. "You too, Axel."

A chuckle escaped my throat as I watched Axel awkwardly pat Demyx on the back…and then a thought occurred to me. "What about Aden and Ima—"

"I'm going to see them now." Demyx let go of Axel, snatched his phone and keys, and strode towards the door. "Wanna come?"

"I'd be delighted to."

"You wanna come too, Axel?"

"Maybe another time. I gotta study. Tell Aden I said hey."

"Yup!" Demyx grabbed the knob and began to shut the door as I waved to Axel. He flashed me a smile and pointed a finger down the hall. "Let's go, Zex!"

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><p><em>But if one day, you wake up and find that you're missing me and your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I could be, thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place where we'd meet and you'll see me waiting for you on the corner of the street so I'm not moving. I'm not moving...<em>

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><p><strong>Author's Afterthought: <strong>Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in a review.


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